"Common Foot Ailments"

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Podiatrist writes about new clinical guidelines for Heel Pains

Dr. Burton S. Schuler, Podiatrist, Foot Doctor, Panama City Fl

Dr. Burton S. Schuler, Podiatrist, of Panama City Fl writes about the newly published clinical guidelines developed by the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) will help medical practitioners diagnose and treat common foot problems, with the most common being heel pain. Available to download at (http://www.acfas.org), a committee of prominent heel pain specialists helped develop the guidelines. Out of all adult foot complaints, plantar fasciitis constitutes 15% of these complaints. The plantar fascia is a broad ligament connecting the heel to the toes.

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004438/). This condition, heel pain caused by chronic inflammation of this tissue, is very painful, can lead to spurs (abnormal bone growth that occurs at the bottom of back of the heel) and occurs frequently in adults 40years and older. Overweight people are likely to suffer from plantar fasciitis because their feet suffer from the extra weight. Women are especially prone to suffer from plantar fasciitis, and this is perhaps most likely caused by inappropriate footwear, such as high heels.

Podiatrist Dr. Burton S. Schuler, of Panama City, Fl and author of Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot, and The Agony of De-Feet: A Podiatrist’s Guide to Footcare, has practiced podiatry in Panama City, Florida for over 27 years since he graduated from New York College of Podiatric Medicine in 1975 at the age of twenty four. (http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/). During this time, he has treated many patients suffering from plantar fasciitis. He reports that over 90% of his patients with heel pain have a short first metatarsal bone or hypermobility of the first metatarsal bone, also known as Morton’s Toe. Schuler explains the simple connection between heel pain and a short first metatarsal bone. Morton’s Toe destabilizes the front part of the foot, causing the foot to pronate, placing stress on many parts of the foot—including the plantar fascia.

What can you do about a Morton’s Toe? Schuler prescribes a simple $2 toe pad that can be placed beneath the bottom of the first toe in order to help stabilize the front part of the foot: it acts as a platform and removes the slack of the ligaments around the first metatarsal bone (http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/home/#tp). A stable foot properly distributes weight, alleviating the unnecessary stress placed on areas like the plantar fascia, and this in turn reduces or can even eliminate heel pain. Keeping in mind that the success of the treatment depends on many factors, if you suffer from chronic heel pain this is one possible cause that should be considered and treated accordingly.